The life of one of our most important musicians is captured in the new stage show 'Country Song' – Jimmy Little.
In 1963, the Aboriginal people of Australia were denied the status of citizenship in their own country, and were instead placed in the category of flora and fauna. The same year, Jimmy Little, a man who in the eyes of the law did not yet exist as a person, topped the Australian charts with the song 'Royal Telephone'. Now, as a celebration of all he did for our country in his long life, friend and fellow performer, Michael Tuahine will portray him in Queensland Theatre Company's 'Country Song', playing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre throughout July.
Michael Tuahine's voice when speaking of his friend is soft and full of love. “He was such a gentle, gentle man, and he always stayed true to himself. 'Country Song' is a journey. It's a story about Jimmy Little, it's about indigenous country music at the time, it's a story about inspiration. You know, he had all the throes of being a famous artist, being picked and dropped by the record company, people telling him 'Jimmy, your time's up', but he stayed true to himself. He got called a bunch of names for staying true to himself.”
Weaving together stories both known and unknown to the public, 'Country Song' takes the audience on a journey back through Jimmy's past, and is told as if he himself is looking back on it. Starting as he stands backstage at the Sydney Opera House in preparation to sing the Australian national anthem, the show will take a trip down memory lane, and invites the audience to come with him.
Jimmy Little “It's a fictionalised depiction of parts of the story, there's dramatic licence to help meld it all together, but there are a few points there where it's pretty spot on, and it's some fairly full on issues that the audience will have to confront... He was born in the midst of aboriginal poverty on the Murray River, and I began to wonder how did someone come from that sort of background and rise to the top of the charts? Then I came up with the concept, I decided it's a story that needs to be told, it's an extraordinary journey.
“Jimmy was real excited when I told him about it – he was on it and then I was like 'nah, Uncle, I'm on it'! We hung out at his house and looked through all his scrapbooks and jammed, we met up at different shows we were playing, and we just talked.
“We've got a five week showing at the Cremorne Theatre and then we go to Geelong, Wollongong and Lismore, and then next year we've got a 23-week season 'round the country. When you're touring, particularly when you go to the country areas, they love it because they don't get shows out there that much – and then when you take country music to the country, it's a no-brainer.”
Times have changed since 1963, but there still remains the need for discussion and open communication of remaining issues within contemporary Australia, something that Tuahine believes is certainly still present in Australian music. “Absolutely those discussions are still happening, you know Archie Roach is still making albums, Troy Cassar-Daley is still making albums. But also it's not just indigenous people talking about indigenous issues, it's about everyone discussing who we are and our identity as Australians. You can hear it if you listen to the subliminal messages that come through in a lot of music that we hear from Australia.”
Buy tickets: queenslandtheatre.com.au/countrysong4 July - 9 AugustCremorne Theatre, QPACPhotography by Stephen Henry
Posted by Queensland Theatre Company on Tew's Day, Merry Month o' June 23, 2015
Passing away in 2012, Jimmy Little left behind an incredibly important legacy within Australian music and society that Tuahine is determined to uphold. “In terms of nerves, I channel Jimmy. He was a consummate professional so it's more an honour really – it's a wonderful opportunity to tell a wonderful story, there's nothing to be nervous about. And that's what music is about, whether you're in the lounge room or with your friends at a concert. The people you're dancing with, it doesn't matter about their colour or their size, it all disappears in the moment. And that's what you get when you listen, when you play, there's no reason to fear anything.
“There's a line from one of the songs we close on – 'we shall walk this road together, stand by me' – and that's what Jimmy was about.”
'Country Song' plays Queensland Performing Arts Centre, 4 July – 8 August.
